Hold Me
by hidayasu
Summary: Adrien has been acting strange ever since he tried using the snake Miraculous. Ladybug comes over to see if she can help.


I want to start this off by saying I don't think "Cat Noir" would act THAT different after Desperada. Him fighting and being in the high action I actually think would help him channel all his uncertainties and keep him going, hence why Ladybug wouldn't really notice anything with him. (Also he's happy being with her lbr) Don't worry, she's not ignoring him for Adrien lol.

But I had an urge to give Adrien a hug, and my tumblr followers encouraged me, so here we are! :D Hugs to go around!

* * *

Adrien had been acting weird lately.

It was little things at first, though of course, because a certain someone was obsessed with him, she noticed them immediately.

He spaced out a lot. It was only for a few seconds, but it happened even in the middle of conversations, making it much more apparent. He was having difficulty following directions, and kept having to ask Nino to repeat what the teacher had said.

He seemed more lethargic than usual too. He was fairly athletic, and he still was, but she noticed that he seemed a lot more tired and winded afterwards. One day in class, she heard a soft snore from him, before Nino gently elbowed his arm. He straightened from his bobbing, looking around in alarm before looking to his friend.

"Dude, are you ok?" He asked.

"O-oh, yeah!" he whispered back, "Just been staying up late for homework."

Which sort of made Marinette suspicious because… well not that she was _spying_ on him or anything, but she was right behind him, and still occasionally saw the marks on his homework and quizzes. And saw his dejected stares and sighs when he got them back. One caught her eye, and she had to cover her gasp and shock. One one of the tests, he'd gotten… a _B_.

Something _terrible_ must have happened.

It would have been easy to just chalk it up to him being being more tired than usual, even the being "jumpy" everytime he was surprised. But one day as he was waiting by the locker doors for Nino, he was looking intently at his phone. As Marinette walked by, she considered saying hello to him. But as she saw his face, she decided against it. The expression he had could only be described as… "lost". There was such a heavy longing in his eyes that she was struck speechless. He looked so incredibly sad, she started feeling sad _for_ him.

She really wanted to ask him.

"Alya, do you know what's going on with Adrien?" Marinette asked worriedly one day.

"I'll ask Nino," she assured. "I'm sure he's fine."

Nino unfortunately didn't have much insight either.

"Yeah, he says his dad's been bookin' him nonstop the last couple weeks."

And that would've been a believable excuse, if Marinette didn't know better.

"It's true he did have a couple new shoots," she relented, tapping her chin as she looked over his highlights on the calendar schedule. "But nothing that should be wearing him out _this_ much."

"Maybe he's stressing out from all those tests coming up," Tikki suggested, zipping up beside her. "You've been staying up late too for that."

"Yeah, but this isn't right!" She insisted. "Adrien's smart, even if he's studying more he shouldn't have to be staying up every _night_ for them."

"Really?" Tikki said, but from her tone, it sounded like she was agreeing with her. "You can't think of _anything_ else that might be bothering him?"

Marinette went deeper into thought, scrunching her nose and brows as she tried to think back. Maybe something happened at home with his father? It had to have been something within the last few weeks that wasn't on his schedule. Something that made him feel _sad_. Sad, and alone, turning himself away because he couldn't bear to see her captured-

And then it hit her, so suddenly she was nearly breathless. And it was so obvious, she felt like a fool. If the symptoms had happened right after, she was sure she would have figured it out instantly, but the strange behavior hadn't started until the next week. Yet it was the only thing she could think of. That expression he'd had was the same one he'd had when he'd given her the snake miraculous back.

She _had_ to be sure.

"Cat Noir, do you mind if we split up for patrol tonight?" She asked over her yoyo. "I want to try to finish up as quick as possible."

"Not a problem, Bugaboo," he answered easily with a shrug. "Got a lot on your plate tonight?"

"It's my friend," she confessed. "He hasn't been doing well lately and I really want to check up on him. Can you manage?"

"That's my Ladybug," he said affectionately. "Always thinking of others. Have to say I'm pretty jealous."

"Don't be, it's nothing like that." She said. "Anyway, gotta run, I'll see you tomorrow."

The line went dead, and he clicked the screen shut. He sighed in disappointment. He had certainly been looking forward to bantering with her tonight, but it couldn't be helped."It's just as well. Maybe I can go to bed early tonight," he mused excitedly, jumping off to hurry through his patrol.

When he got home, he was happy to shed his second shirt and wash the gunk off his face and out of his hair. But no sooner had he come out, face towel around his shoulders, that he saw a bright red figure right in front of his opened window.

"GAH!"

"_Gah!_"

He jumped, him from seeing her, her from his shout. She sighed with relief.

"_Ladybug_?" He gaped in bafflement.

She looked to him beseechingly, curled fists under her chin. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

"What're you _doing_ here?"

"I wanted to check on you," she said, finally dropping her hands as she approached cautiously. "I was worried."

"You were… worried about me?"

He was awed, thinking to himself it was almost ironic that she'd been asking him to hurry with patrol to check on _him_ of all things. He blinked back to reality, gaping like a fish as she cupped his cheek, her big, bright, bluebell eyes gazing at him with such tender worry it made his heart ache.

"You haven't been sleeping, have you?"

He flinched out of her hand, fingers going up to the dark circles under his eyes. _Why_ hadn't he though to ask _who_ she was going to check up on?! If he'd have known, he would have kept his concealer on. "What, this?" He put on a strained smile, laughing nervously. "I-I've just been studying late, is all! I was really slacking on my studies, so now I gotta play catch up before-"

"It's because of the snake miraculous, isn't it?"

He froze. She was peering up at him sadly from under her lashes, hands clasped together in front of her.

"You were trying to save me for a very long time, weren't you?"

He didn't want to say anything, because the last thing he'd wanted was to make her worried, but he couldn't argue her point, not when she'd figured it out so quickly.

"I should have known you wouldn't just recover from something like that," she continued, eyes down. "I should never have put that burden on you-"

"No, Ladybug," He beseeched. "That was my doing. I was the one that didn't want to give up." He looked at his ring suddenly, traitorously. "I was so honored you had picked me I didn't want to admit I wasn't the right choice. And you were the one that ended up paying for it."

"But I didn't," she argued, clasping his hand suddenly between hers. "Because you did make the right choice in the end. That's what being a hero's all about- not the costume you wear or what powers you have. It's putting others before yourself, even if that means giving up something you really want."

He stared at her, awed by her impassioned speech. Until she noticed their hands, blushed, and hastily snapped them behind her. (He did the same, making him blush too.) "A-anyway I just wanted to tell you that! And um, wanted to ask if… maybe you wanted to talk about it?" She asked more seriously. "To help you feel better?"

He frowned uncertainly. He'd never even considered 'talking' about it. Even with Plagg he'd only given him the occasional mentions. The kwami of course had still been supportive, trying to help cheer him up in anyway he could.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that," he confessed, gripping his arm with his other hand, still not looking at her. "I just want to forget it."

"Well, if you change your mind, I can listen," she offered earnestly.

He smiled despite himself, touched at her concern. "Thanks, Ladybug."

"Maybe there's something else I can do."

"Something else?"

He quirked a brow in surprise, still taken aback at how forward she was being. It was so out of left field for him he didn't know how to process it. Plus, the thing that made him "feel better" was when he was able to protect her and help her out as Cat Noir. But he couldn't very well tell her that. Still, he couldn't deny her attention on its own made him feel better. She was so sweet, and caring, and gentle, and-

"Can I-"

He stopped, slapping a hand over his mouth in horror. She blinked at him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing! I mean it's nothing important, just," he grimaced, rubbing a hand through his hair as he laughed it off. "You don't have to say yes of course, I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, I was just thinking about what I could have to feel better, and-"

"Yes, of course, anything!" She said eagerly.

"C-can I… hold you?" He asked hesitantly, not looking at her so he didn't have to see her inevitable refusal. "It's just that, sometimes, I feel like you'll disappear again. I know you're plenty strong, it's just every time there's an akuma attack I'm just so afraid that I'll fail you again, and I'll have to watch you-"

She hugged him.

He was frozen, breath hitched as he looked down at her shiny black hair. "Ladybug?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Adrien," she promised, for once she wasn't blushing, too moved by the worry on his face, and plagued by the guilt of putting that on him in the first place. "You don't have to be afraid. Even if I can't beat them on my own, Cat Noir is the best partner I could ask for. I know he'll pull through for me, and together we'll keep Paris, and everyone in it, safe."

That did it. Something in him broke, snapping clean in half as she unknowingly praised him. He grabbed her back suddenly, fiercely, with so much emotion and strength that even though she saw it coming, the young girl was still surprised.

"I'm sorry, Ladybug," he murmured into her hair. His voice cracked, and he burst into tears. "I'm so sorry!"

She didn't say anything, thinking he was talking about the past.

He sobbed into her hair- guilt, and shame, and anger, and grief tumbling out of him so much it made his knees weak. But she held him up with miraculous strength, gently stroking his back. He held her as tight as he could, leeching her warmth and solidity like a lifeline. More than once he looked up, suddenly, fearfully, subconsciously on the lookout for anything that would cut this moment short and leave him holding empty air.

It had been happening in his dreams more than once. But besides seeing a worried Plagg peeking out from his hiding spot in the shelf, there was nothing else to worry about. So he held her, taking in her presence and imprinting it into his memory. She was so warm… and calming…

They stood there for so long, Ladybug didn't even notice he'd fallen asleep until his arms slipped down from around her shoulders.

"Adrien?"

The only answer she got was a soft snore.

She smiled at him affectionately, more than relieved to hear him finally getting some rest. "Come on, big boy," she murmured, gently turning him around and scooping up his legs. "Let's get you to bed."

His eyelids fluttered a moment, like they were trying to open up, but he conked back out instantly, head lolling against her shoulder as she carried him over to his mattress. She gently lay him down, and after a moment of taking his shoes off, slipped the covers from under him to pull them over.

"Good night, Adrien," she murmured lovingly, kissing his brow. "Sweet dreams."

And so left, flying out through the open window and vanishing into the night.

The next morning, as Adrien woke up from his alarm, he was surprised at how… _awake_ he felt.

"Morning, Adrien! Feeling better~?" He asked teasingly.

"Yeah, actually, I do." he admitted with some surprise as he got out. "I guess getting a full night's sleep really helped."

"Uh-huh, and a few other things," he wheedled. "Some late night visitors, perhaps?"

"You mean you heard that?" Adrien blinked in surprise, blushing despite himself as he rubbed the back of his head. "I must've been talking in my sleep."

"...what?"

As Marinette got to school, she was excited, and nervous. Was Adrien feeling better? Did he get a good sleep last night? How was she going to look him in the eye and not remember that long, beautiful hug?!

She saw him walking into class, and gasping, ducking behind her book. She peeked over, to Alya's amusement, and watched him sliding into his seat, smile on his face as he brought out his books.

"Hey dude," Nino smiled approvingly. "Someone's in a good mood."

"Yeah, I was finally able to sleep last night."

"Yeah? That's a relief."

"Yeah," he said again, dreamily as he put his chin on his fist. "I had the _best_ dream last night. Someone I really admire came to check in on me and helped me feel better. After that, it was like all my stresses went away..."

"Wow, really?" Nino raised his brows. "That's pretty impressive. So who was it?" He teased.

"What? I'm not telling!" Adrien defended, getting into a good natured banter with his friend.

From behind him, Marinette's jaw dropped. "He… thought it was a dream?"

"He thought _what_ was a dream?" Alya asked suspiciously.

"What? Nothing! I meant that _he_ was a dream- I mean that _he's_ my dream- I-I mean that he was in my dream!"

"Really?" Adrien asked curiously, happily. "What happened in it?"

She froze, her face going brilliant red as Alya snickered behind her hand. "J-just- nothing, really! Um, we were, uh- um, wooooorking on a project together! Yeah!" She smiled suddenly. "You know, studying for these tests have been really stressing me out!"

"Oh, yeah," he agreed. "That was pretty fun. We should do it again sometime." He said easily, before turning back to get his notes out.

Marinette sighed in relief as she dropped to her desk, letting her opened book drop onto her head and ignoring Alya giggling at her. She lifted the end a bit to peek out at Adrien diligently getting to work, and smiling despite herself. Ah well, what did it matter if he thought it was a dream? So long as it worked, that was all that mattered.


End file.
